Partners in Shadow
by Celtic Oak
Summary: AU drabble series written for the 100 prompts community on LJ. The threat of war among the shinobi clans brings about unexpected and dangerous alliances; but some dangers are well worth courting and the heat of the flame is too enticing to resist.
1. Dodge and run

**A/N:** I'd originally posted this drabble series on my LJ account but since it's finished already, I decided to put it up here. You know, kind of like having all my drabbles in the same place for people to read. I plan on uploading the other ones, especially my _Cold Front_ spinoff drabbles, on here in the future.

I know you might have already read this but hope you enjoy a second read. ;D

* * *

**Title:** Dodge and Run  
**Fandom:** Naruto  
**Prompt:** #02 - Powder, _100_prompts_  
**Character/Pairing:** Sabaku no Gaara/Haruno Sakura  
**Word Count:** 2672  
**Summary:** _"_The manner in which she'd thrown her punch, aimed without hesitation and meant to fracture bone, marked her as a dangerous kunoichi_."_

~~xxx~~

The ignited hand bomb flew through the air, marking a direct route towards his running feet. Unable to avert its incoming impact, he sent his sand flying towards it, hardening it at the very last minute to pierce the clay vessel about to destroy the ground and prevent his progress.

Gaara heard the ceramic bomb burst, its shards rattling through the air as most of the gun powder, harmless without fire, marked a downward trail of dark glitter before hitting the earth. But there was no time to stop. Not if he wanted to keep his limbs intact. There was still some ways to go before reaching the city wall, beyond which lay the only possibility of freedom.

Another volley of fiery projectiles followed upon the heels of the first, forcing Gaara to slow his run and deal with them in a similar fashion. He knew very well that the powder inside the bombs was of the most volatile nature; the country of Iwagakure was famous for its powerful explosives. As a result, it was in his best interest to avoid any kind of detonation anywhere near his person. He sent his sand tendrils flying, cutting off the short lit wick and shattering the clay vessels as he did his best to keep moving.

It would have been easy for him to create an impenetrable sand shield around himself and let the royal ninja guard try its worst to blow him out. Nonetheless, on this occasion, he wasn't allowed such luxury. He needed to get out of Iwagakure as fast as possible and reach his own clan with the news.

The Shogun was dead, killed by his own son's treacherous hands. War-hungry and intent on conquering the neighbouring states, the new Shogun wouldn't waste any time in assembling his army and leading them on a pageant of destruction across the countryside. Gaara had been sent to confirm these suspicions; having infiltrated Iwagakure and finally finding out the truth, it was imperative for him to reach Suna swiftly to convey the warning.

Of course, being discovered by the newly self-appointed Shogun's ninja bodyguard hadn't been part of the original plan. But being an elite nin entailed the possession of great improvisation skills... a talent he was currently putting to good use.

He kept running, trying to stick to the dark alleyways and their elongated shadows provoked by the moonless night. Whatever advantage he could get would get him a little closer to his objective. Once outside the city walls he'd be able to use his sand as transport, traversing the landscape with speed until he crossed Iwagakure's borders. But summoning his sand before that would only lead to inconveniences: up in the air, he'd be a perfect target for his pursuers and their greatly irritating long-range explosives. Thus, he would have to make do with his own two legs and the speed with which they could carry him.

The pursuit of a group on the street could be heard some distance behind him, a fact that made him his shake his head. They were supposed to be specialised nin, for crying out loud. They weren't supposed to be _heard_. Silence and shadows were what characterized a skilled ninja; these two elements were the key when inflicting efficient death. A frustrated growl escaped his lips. Gaara couldn't believe he was being chased like a thieving rat by these incompetent morons.

If he had his way, the redhead would stop his flight right about now and make a stand. By the time he was done with them, the Shogun wouldn't have a ninja force with which to count on. So much better for everyone involved, in his opinion.

But he wasn't here to make any such displays. He was here only for information.

"Once you get confirmation of the old Shogun's death you get out of there, understand? No delays." Temari had told him, a determined glint in her eye that said he'd have hell to pay if he disobeyed. He rolled his eyes as he repeated his sister's order inside his mind. This was the reason why he hated going out on missions under strict orders. It was such a hassle to obey them.

He sorely missed the days when he was sent out on missions solely as a weapon of mass destruction, his only objective to destroy everything in sight. In those days there was no need to think about anything or worry about any diplomatic transgressions if he killed the wrong person. But then his father had died and his sister, inheriting the position of Shogun, had decided to put a stop to it all. She refused for her baby brother to be treated like a monster and led him down a learning path that, with some hindsight, was very much akin to a rehabilitation program. Gaara had learned to cope, communicate and socialize like any normal human being... or as close as someone like him could get to achieving such a feat. Not that he didn't slip the leash every so often; such instances were inevitable. He just did it with less frequency and before tearing someone's throat out, he now let his victim know with enough anticipation for them to get a good head start.

Temari said it was progress. Gaara just thought it was a pointless hassle. But he lived to please his sister, one of the few people in the world who truly cared for him and loved him unconditionally. It was the sole reason why he was here, in this forsaken city, trying his best to avoid killing the inept group of nin on his trail.

A clay bomb landed somewhere to his left, eliciting an instant burst of fire that would've sent him flying is he hadn't shielded with his sand on time. Instead of losing his left leg, he only suffered a mild burn and a nudge to his rising temper. These idiots were really asking for it. Without sparing a glance to the newly opened hole in the alley wall next to him, Gaara picked up his pace and continued his flight. Judging from the direction the bomb had come from the bastards where gaining on him and a number of them were giving chase up on the roof.

To test his theory, he threw himself in full view unto the street at the end of the alleyway. A volley of hand bombs came flying at him from the top of the buildings on his side of the street as he did so, confirming his suspicions. Covering himself with a hardened sheet of sand spread above his head, he crossed the street in a rush before ducking into another narrow alley. Speed was of the essence if he wanted to avoid ending up at the bottom of a bomb crater. He increased the flow of chakra to his feet to make up even more for the weight of his gourd and sprinted forwards, increasing the distance between him and his pursuers.

But as he rounded the corner at the end of the passageway, he felt a powerful chakra presence almost upon him. He reflexively jumped back, avoiding the incoming fist aimed at his head by a mere millimetre.

His sand went to work immediately, tendrils flying in rapid succession. But his assailant was quick, back-flipping and jumping way out of reach. The few seconds he was afforded to deal with this surprise attack allowed him to get a good look at the ninja he was up against.

A shock of pink hair and a slim figure instantly marked her as a woman. The way she skilfully avoided his sand marked her as a proficient taijutsu fighter. The manner in which she'd thrown her punch, aimed without hesitation and meant to fracture bone, marked her as a dangerous kunoichi.

Gaara instantly set himself to bring her down as soon as possible, increasing the flow of his sand. But damn her, she was quick. She slithered out of its grasp like if she were flowing mercury, allowing her to change direction and make her way steadily towards him.

A thrown kunai came flying at him but he deflected it easily. He wasn't about to fall for the ruse. As suspected, a well aimed kick following the thrown weapon and Gaara was forced to put up a hardened shield of sand to defend.

But as her shin came in contact with the rock-solid cover, he felt a pulsating shock all the way through his sand as the force of her chakra cracked his shield and her leg continued its trajectory towards his ribs. Amazement and dark laughter rose inside his chest, his lips curving upwards in a fiendish smile.

Now here was a fighter worth his time. It was a pity he would have to cut their exchange short. The redhead would have very much enjoyed prolonging their deadly dance just to see where it would lead them.

Ducking under her leg to avoid impact, he brought up another tendril and grabbed hold of her calf. Glinting eyes looked down at him for a split second before the woman slashed out with her arm, aiming a kunai grasped between his fingers at his throat.

Jade eyes widened as he saw the sharp edge come close enough to draw blood, dodging in time to avoid serious injury. Her arm reared back and like a snake, aimed for a second strike.

The redhead saw the kunai come towards him but just before it could reach his throat this time, a tendril of sand wrapped around her neck, cutting off her air supply abruptly. She gritted her teeth, kunai still in mid air and posed for the kill, just as he increased the grip of his sand.

Two sets of gleaming eyes stared at each other for a few of seconds in silent evaluation. Gaara broke contact first, taking a good look at the emblem over her left breast, etched on her nin uniform: a spiralling leaf. Nodding in comprehension, he loosened his grip on her neck and allowed her to breathe.

She coughed loudly as a result but never shifted her eyes from her attacker.

"It looks like we're in the same predicament," he said, signalling to the Suna symbol on the sleeve of his right arm. "For an instant there, I thought you were one of them."

The woman's eyes widened as she took in his insignia, quickly catching up with what he was saying. "So did I. You were coming in the same direction as their search squad."

"If I guess correctly, we were both sent here to gather the same information. As such, the sooner both of us leave this damned city, the better."

She nodded. "All the neighbouring nations are in peril. The new Shogun is set on war."

Jade eyes looked thoughtful for a moment, taking her in. Every curve on her appealed to his senses, from the arc of her hips and the contour of her breasts to the way the skin of her neck felt against his sand.

He would only be lying to himself if he didn't admit he found her interesting. The look she'd given him when she was about to plunge her kunai into his throat had given him a measure of her calibre. The fact that she had been sent on such a dangerous mission was evidence enough of what she was capable of. Only the elite were sent to infiltrate such hazardous enemy territory. On top of that, she had made her considerate skills evident when she had adeptly avoided his sand like a dancing feline, getting close enough to actually wound him. In that respect, she had proven herself his equal.

No other woman he'd ever encountered before could even come close to making such an affirmation.

Gaara smirked at her... a bold and devious grin.

She simply cocked her head to the side and arched a pink eyebrow, blatantly ignoring the way his sand still surrounded her throat.

With an attitude like that, it wasn't a surprise he found her so intriguing.

"We need to get over the city wall and out of here, fast," he said, his voice serious despite his smirk. "There are sentries patrolling the walkways above who have already been alerted of our flight. So, if we climb up and over the wall, our passage will be hampered and the fighting will slow us down."

She nodded at him, narrowing her eyes. "What do you have in mind?"

The redhead's grin intensified. "Can you perform that little trick you just pulled on my sand on a stone wall?"

The woman blinked for a moment before responding with a smile of her own. "Yes, I could do that. But if I do, there'll be a huge hole in the outer wall that will give our pursuers direct access to our escape route. And out there in the open field, we won't have any cover under which to hide."

"True but they aren't counting on my sand," he replied.

"Your sand?"

"As soon as we step outside, I'll fly us out of here. They won't have any high vantage points from where to throw their missiles out in the open."

"Fly?" she asked, her tone incredulous.

His answer came in the form of a cocky look.

They exchanged glances once more, silent assessment going on between them. She finally relented, having finally realized, just like he had, that they were better off cooperating with each other given the circumstances. Besides, Suna and Konoha did have a political alliance. Putting away the kunai she still held in her hand, she nodded her head in agreement.

"I'm Sakura," she said, bowing slightly.

"Gaara," he replied, finally calling his sand away from her.

But their introduction was cut short by a couple of clay bombs descending towards them from on high.

"Shit!" Sakura exclaimed, starting to jump away.

But Gaara didn't let her. He whipped out his sand and wrapped a tendril round her waist, pulling her towards him. As he caught her with one arm, his sand shield came up around them, protecting them from any damage.

"That's a nifty trick you've got there," she admitted within the cocoon of sand. Their cover trembled with the strength of the explosions but otherwise remained intact.

"There's more where that came from," the redhead replied with an impish grin.

"I'm sure there is," Sakura answered with a touch of asperity in her voice as she looked down at the arm circling her waist. It was clear she wasn't impressed.

Gaara couldn't help but chuckle. "Time to move," he said, speaking directly in her ear.

She couldn't exactly hide the shiver running down her spine at the sound of his deep voice but she did well in shoving it aside. Stepping back, she forced him to let go of her.

"Well?" she asked haughtily, signalling to the hardened sand around them.

The redhead created an opening in his sand for her to step through. "Ladies first," he prompted mockingly.

"And send me straight to certain death? What a gentlemen," Sakura replied, tone dripping with sarcasm. "No, you go first _partner_. You're the one with the shield trick."

The redhead reminded himself of the perilous situation they were currently facing; a circumstance that meant he shouldn't be enjoying himself so much. But he was unable to help it.

"Trust my luck to pick a slave driver," he answered in mock resignation while moving towards the opening in the sand.

"That should teach you to think twice before befriending someone who was about to bury a kunai in your throat," she replied sweetly.

Gaara elicited a loud bark of laughter at this. His sand shifted, metamorphosing from a cocoon into a thick flat sheet above them. Once it was in place, they darted down the street rapidly and headed down a narrow side lane, intent on making their escape and losing their pursuers once and for all.


	2. Nearest Exit

**Title:** Nearest Exit  
**Fandom:** Naruto  
**Prompt:** #07 - Go, 100 prompts.  
**Character/Pairing:** Sabaku no Gaara/Haruno Sakura  
**Word Count:** 2610  
**Summary:** "I can see why you would find this advantageous," Sakura admitted, "but you know, not all girls like to be groped on the first date."   
**Authors Notes:** _Suna no Akaoni_ = Red Demon of Suna.

~xxx~

A rain of bombs descended on them as they ran through the streets of Iwagakure but Gaara's cover saved them from the worst of the damage. The fiery explosions actually worked to their advantage, providing light with which to see while running at full speed. The streets filled with flashes of incandescent flames and the smell of burnt gun powder.

As they made their way hurriedly down another lane, jade eyes turned to look over at the pink haired kunoichi who, despite the heavy attacks they were fending off, easily kept pace with him. She became aware of his keen observation and graced him with a haughty yet slightly amused look.

"Keep that up and you'll end up dead," she told him matter-of-factly.

"Is that a threat?"

"Not from me," she replied. As she spoke, she sprinted forward and threw a couple of kunai into the air above them. The knives hit two descending bombs dead centre, resulting in a loud blast. Sparks flew down at them and they were forced to dash to one side to avoid getting burned.

"Tsk, such sloppiness when out on a mission," Sakura chided once they reached the far corner and continued to run.

"I was counting on you to pull through," Gaara replied, grinning devilishly.

"Is that so?"

"You watch my back so I can watch yours." As he said this, he gave her another swift but appreciate glance.

It was too much for her: she openly gaped. But his grin was simply too contagious and she found herself chuckling at his blatant antics. "I'm starting to regret not burrowing my kunai in your throat. Didn't anyone ever teach you about mission protocol?"

"They tried but I simply wasn't an enthusiastic student on the subject," he replied.

"I feel great sympathy towards your tutors. I'd venture to guess you retired them all."

It was his turn to laugh. "With that tongue, I'd say the same thing about yours."

"Me?" Sakura asked in exaggerated surprise. "I was a model student."

"A model in tartness and verbal jabs."

"You insult me!" she replied. "My jabs were certainly not verbal."

Gaara sniggered. "With that kick you pulled on me, I'd have to agree."

"That should teach you to keep your hands off me," she countered, looking smug.

He graced her with a bold look. "My hands, maybe. My sand however..."

"I quail to think what you were like during puberty," Sakura said, her expression disturbed.

The redhead was about to respond with yet another sassy remark but they had almost reached their objective. They stopped at the last street corner to survey the city wall, pinpointing out the sentries on the walkway above. They could hear the pursuit of the ninja guard some blocks away in the direction they had just come from.

Hidden underneath the shadow of a slanting roof, they waited for the sentries to turn the other way before moving forward.

"Ladies first," Gaara remarked once more, signalling towards the wall.

"I'll take you up on your offer this time around," Sakura told him with a grin to match his.

Without waiting for him to move out of the way, she charged her fist with chakra and threw a direct punch at the wall. Broken stone blocks flew every which way as her knuckles connected, opening a gaping hole in the middle of the bulky structure. Sakura didn't wait for Gaara, plunging into the opening as the first of their pursuers appeared at the corner where they had just been standing.

"Impressive," the redhead admitted while they traversed the width of the wall. "Such a skill must be rather useful."

"Indeed. It's quite effective on thick skulls as well."

"Are you implying anything?"

"Nothing whatsoever," Sakura answered innocently. "Whatever gave you such an impression?"

"Now it's my turn to shudder at what you were like with the boys at your academy," Gaara replied in all sincerity.

She threw her head back and laughed gleefully. "I guess that makes us even."

They stepped beyond the wall, evading the thrown bombs from the sentries above. Craters exploded all around them but their speed and experience allowed them to cover enough distance to clear the bombardment successfully. Pumping chakra into their feet, they sprinted across the rocky field outside the city until they were out of reach of the sentries' range.

"Time for me to fulfil my end of the bargain," the redhead said.

His sand fluttered around them and settled just above the ground. A snaking tendril whipped around Sakura, pulling her towards him once more.

"You enjoy doing this sort of thing, don't you," she commented primly as he settled her next to him.

Gaara only chuckled in response as the sand hardened enough for them to use it as a platform. As they jumped unto it, the shouts of their pursuers reached their ears. They had traversed the hole in the wall already, and after being forced to wait for the sentries' bombing assault to be over, they were now making their way hurriedly across the open land.

"Watch out!" Sakura exclaimed, throwing a few kunai to intercept another volley of thrown explosives.

As her arm flew out, Gaara grabbed her by the waist. "Hang on."

The sand underneath them lifted into the air, taking them with it. Sakura's legs wobbled for a moment at the unusual movement and she found herself sinking her fingers into the redhead's arms as they lifted farther and farther from the ground. He answered by tightening his hold on her and pumping more chakra into the grains to increase their speed. Soon they were flying above the open country and the city was nothing but a receding silhouette.

When she had finally managed to get used to the movement of the flying sand, Sakura loosened her death grip on Gaara and found her voice. "I have to admit you've got your uses as well," she remarked.

He accepted the complement with a nod. "Where to? Your place or mine?"

Sakura shook her head in disgust. "You really have the mental maturity of a five year old, don't you?"

The redhead replied with his fiendish smirk accompanied by a shrug.

"Konoha is closer. After we cross the border, you can leave me there and I'll use one of the patrol birds to send my message ahead of me."

"That signals our parting of ways, then."

"Yes it does," she replied firmly.

"Any wager on how long it will take for both our countries to form an armed alliance to fend off Iwagakure?" he asked, a glint in his eye.

"Are you implying there's a chance we will meet again?"

"Not implying. I'm certain of it."

Sakura rolled her eyes at his arrogance. "What makes you so sure?"

"I take it you're high up in the hierarchy of the Konoha nin, with you being in charge of this infiltrating mission and all," Gaara stated.

She kept quiet, not denying his assessment.

"The same applies to me. Do you think Suna would send a simple errand boy to do a job like this?"

"Judging from your manners, it's highly possible," she retorted. But she knew he was right. Her face turned serious as her mind focused on the implications of the success of their mission. "Iwagakure's Shogun really is vent on destruction. He'll raze any nation that does not bow down to his rule."

Gaara turned to fully look at her and noticed the grim expression on her features. "Unfortunately, the man won't be any different than any other tyrant with an army behind him," he conceded, "all the more reason to stop him sooner than later."

Sakura nodded in reply. They would just have to trust in the strength of their own forces to put a stop the despot.

They travelled in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts and the consequences the upcoming battles would have on their respective countries. It was only after they had traversed most of the distance they had to travel that Sakura belatedly blinked down at the arm round her waist.

"You can let me go, you know," she commented annoyingly.

"You'll just fall off if I do."

"I'm not useless. I already got used to the sway of the sand," came her irritated remark.

"Don't want to take my chances. It would just slow us down," Gaara replied in all seriousness. He kept his eyes on the horizon and refused to look at her, but Sakura was certain there was a mischievous spark in his jade orbs.

Sakura glared at him, except she instantly realized it was pointless. Men like him were immune to such displays. On the other hand, a punch in the ribs would be much more effective. But seeing as they were now high up above the ground, making him lose his concentration could be rather perilous. So she settled for a verbal assault instead.

After all, now that she got a good look at him, it wasn't hard to put two and two together. The Suna emblem, the dark crimson hair, the reckless attitude and the shifting sand should've been rather evident from the beginning.

"Well, the last thing I would've predicted this morning was that I would end the day flying on a cloud of sand with the much feared Suna no Akaoni."

His teeth flashed. "It seems my reputation precedes me."

"More or less," Sakura remarked wryly.

His response was a humorous snort. "Not what you expected?"

"Oh no, quite the contrary, you did end up being a maladjusted sociopath," she said, all sugar and smiles, "it's just that I never thought you'd be the groper type. The 'I'll skin you and eat you for breakfast' type would've been more my guess."

Gaara shook his head, stifling a laugh. This woman was really unlike any other female he'd ever encountered before. Anyone else, after having correctly recognized him as one of the most dangerous nin out there, would have preferred to throw themselves off the cloud of sand instead of having to be in close contact with him. Not Sakura, though. Here she was, instead of placating him, throwing thinly veiled insults his way.

"I'm over that phase," he replied without missing a beat, "got bored of it after a while. The skinning took too much effort."

"I see. So you just settled for the sexual harassment approach instead."

"It has its advantages," the redhead remarked. To prove his point, he shifted his arm slightly to pin her to his body more effectively. Now her entire front was plastered against his right side, his leg between hers.

Sakura clucked her tongue and looked down to where their bodies met. She had to admit he was in excellent shape. Being a connoisseur of male ninja after having to work with them all her life, she had to give Suna no Akaoni his due: there was firm muscle everywhere on him. Nonetheless, limits were limits.

"I can see why you would find this advantageous," Sakura admitted, "but you know, not all girls like to be groped on the first date." As she spoke, she lifted her hand and buried her index finger right where his neck met his shoulder. She pumped a streak of chakra into him, knowing very well it would be amazingly painful.

Gaara groaned in surprise and grit his teeth but after a few moments he relented, lowering his arm from around her waist and letting her go.

Taking a step back, Sakura patted him on the shoulder. "That's better."

Jade eyes narrowed at her but didn't lose their devilish glint. "Your significant other has my deepest sympathy."

She laughed loudly again. "He had sympathy for himself as well, which is why he went out for groceries one day and never came back."

"Scared shitless of you, was he?"

"Indeed, especially when he realized I'd found out he was cheating on me," Sakura remarked, shaking her head, "took the easy way out, the coward."

Gaara turned to look at her, his jade eyes thoughtful. "You don't look particularly upset over it. But I guess, if the bastard was cheating on you, he wasn't worth your time."

"Exactly the conclusion I came to myself," Sakura conceded with a smile.

"A maladjusted sociopath might be more worth your while," he remarked, a grin made of sin on his face.

She couldn't help a laughing fit from overcoming her. This man really was something else. "How do you figure that?" she finally managed to ask when she found her voice again.

"It'd give you more of a challenge; keep you on your toes."

"Like _that's_ exactly what I'm looking for," she replied cynically. "My life as a kunoichi doesn't give me enough of that already."

"Well, you did choose the profession for a reason," Gaara said. "There must be something you get out of it."

"Yes, saving my country and the lives of the innocent people residing in it."

He looked solemn for a moment but not for long. "True, but where's the fun in living off honourable deeds all the time?"

Sakura clucked her tongue. "You really are incorrigible."

"So my psychiatric medics tell me."

They had reached the Konoha border by then. Choosing to land at the edge of a towering forest, Gaara lowered his sand close to the ground. When they came to a stop, he created a series of steps leading down to the grass, gaining a raised pink eyebrow in the process.

"Such chivalry," Sakura teased when she was on solid ground again.

"Never let it be said that sociopaths don't know how to treat women," Gaara countered, still standing on his floating sand.

Her laughing emerald eyes sobered after a moment. "Do you think they'll try to pursue us any further?"

"Not likely," he replied. "In the commotion, I don't think they were able to get a good look at our emblems and even if they did, they know chasing us won't prevent the information we gathered to reach our leaders. It'd just be a waste of resources."

"True. We'd better make sure the intel reaches the right ears, then."

He nodded in agreement but said nothing. They looked at each other then, standing beneath the shifting shadows of the trees. It was a charged moment filled with unexpected familiarity, as if they hadn't encountered each other for the first time in their lives a few short hours earlier. Neither knew what to make of it, deciding not to speak of it lest the spell be broken.

"Well, you'd better get going then," Sakura finally said. "You've got some ways to go yet."

"Yes, ma'am," Gaara replied in mock obedience. His sand started to lift once again, rising up into the sky.

"Thanks for the ride!" she called out.

"Don't mention it," he answered, "it's your turn to drop me off next time."

This elicited a trill of laughter from her. Saluting her one last time, the redhead pumped more chakra into his sand and picked up speed. Soon he was nothing more than a dark speck in the distance.

Sakura watched him go, thinking over what he'd said and realizing he just might be right. If war was coming their way, there was a high probability for their paths to cross again.

Somehow, this prospect didn't seem so bad. She wondered what kind of antics he'd pull on her next time. The man certainly was reckless and unpredictable.

For now, she had a message to deliver and a report to convey. She mused about what her superiors and peers would say when she told them she was on talking terms with the infamous Suna no Akaoni.

Chuckling at the likely reactions of fright and incredulity, she turned into the forest and started to make her way home under the familiar protection of the tall trees.


	3. Walk right into it

**Title:** Walk right into it  
**Fandom:** Naruto  
**Prompt:** #14 - Sweeten, _100_prompts_  
**Character/Pairing:** Sabaku no Gaara/Haruno Sakura  
**Word Count:** 2903  
**Summary:** "The pink haired kunoichi swallowed. She was certain she would hate where her shishou was leading her. Curse her fellow Konoha nin and their efficiency when gathering information!"  
**Author's notes: **_Deshi =_ pupil, student. _Shishou =_ Master. _Taichou = _Captain.

~xxx~

If she thought about it with hindsight, approaching him hadn't actually been a choice. Once she spotted him, barking out orders and giving last minute instructions to his team, her feet were moving of their own accord while her lips curled up in an anticipating smile. The bustling nin camp was full of activity, people coming and going all around her, but this didn't prevent her from easily spotting him on Suna's side of the encampment.

This had been her first mistake; seeking him out openly and letting the world know she could handle a man such as him. That she didn't mind being associated with the likes of Suna no Akaoni spoke volumes and to be honest, Sakura had never really given a damn about what others might think. The man was unpredictable and famous for his ruthlessness but as it was wont to happen in the ninja world they lived in, he really couldn't be blamed for it. All of them, including the youngest apprentice, had been trained to be proficient killers since the very first days of their education. Learning, during the formative years of your life, how to end someone's life in the most efficient way without thinking twice about it did things to you.

When it came down to it, all of them had more than a few loose screws.

So who was she to judge? Besides, you had to give Gaara credit; the man didn't hide his twisted nature. He proclaimed it openly to the four winds and whoever didn't like it be damned. Utterly unlike others who outwardly seemed to be the epitome of propriety but in truth only festered a writhing pit of malice on the inside. _Those_ were the psychos one should steer clear from. Smiles and charm on the outside, sick sadists within. They were the ones a girl shouldn't let through her door no matter how well-trained as a kunoichi she might be. Gaara on the other hand was honest in his perversity; predictable in his unpredictability.

If you saw a raging red demon wrecking havoc, then a raging red demon was what you got. It was straightforward. He wasn't out to trick anyone.

This, Sakura admitted, was what had sparked her interest in him in the first place. The blatant way he'd behaved towards her had been, albeit somewhat upsetting at first, oddly refreshing. Suna no Akaoni expressed what he thought, not caring if his words or acts hurt the sensibilities of whoever he was dealing with. After spending an entire life filled with hidden intents and at all times looking 'underneath the underneath', Sakura had to confess that meeting someone who stuck to the policy of truth was greatly uplifting. It was a welcomed break in the often tiring routine of her life as a nin.

This was the reason why she didn't hesitate in engaging him.

She caught up to him as he was giving final orders to a pair of young kunoichi who, to tell the truth, looked rather pale and were nodding fervently at whatever he was saying. Sakura chuckled, knowing very well that dealing with him as a superior while you were still in the lower nin ranks couldn't be easy. It took a lot of backbone to deal with Suna no Akaoni; something she thankfully didn't lack.

"So early in the morning and you're already harassing the female population," she said by way of greeting, "how very typical of you."

His head whipped around at the sound of her voice. Jade eyes looked her over for a moment before his lips curved upwards. "If they did what they were told they wouldn't need to be harassed."

Sakura snorted. "If they didn't have a tyrant for a captain, I'm sure they'd be perfectly fine."

The girls in front of Gaara seemed to have completely lost the blood flow to their faces. They stood there, eyes wide with fear, looking like a pair of ghosts. One of them tried to lift her hand as if to warn Sakura but couldn't find enough courage to complete the act. It was evident they thought the pink haired woman wouldn't survive the encounter.

But instead of decapitating her, Suna no Akaoni merely looked amused. "That's a matter of opinion, I'm afraid," he replied, "if they didn't have me they wouldn't have made it this far."

"I see you've had your dose of arrogance for breakfast," Sakura answered. "Just make sure you don't have another dose for lunch or else your ego won't be able to walk out the door."

And that was when she made her second mistake: she made him laugh. Haruno Sakura made Suna no Akaoni bark out with laughter.

The two girls couldn't believe what they were seeing. It was as if their taichou had transformed into a normal human being, something so unlikely it provoked trepidation in their hearts. Of course, it didn't last long. He turned to them in the next instant, jade eyes hard, and dismissed them with a final cutting order. They didn't miss their chance to escape and departed hurriedly to tell their companions about the uncanny event they'd just witnessed.

With the girls gone, Gaara turned towards Sakura to face her fully.

It was then that she realized she was looking at him during daylight hours for the very first time. His hair was a darker shade of crimson than she'd initially thought. It was the colour of blood, streaked through with tints of lighter red only revealed by the sun. The shade of his eyes was another revelation, an opaque viridian that made her think of crystals. In a parallel universe, one where he wasn't a frenzied sand demon vent on destruction, he would have been a strikingly handsome man.

She caught herself staring when she realized he was doing exactly the same. His jade eyes had turned thoughtful as he glanced at her appreciatively, the ever-present devious glint in his orbs momentarily replaced by something else. Sakura caught herself wondering what he was thinking but self-preservation stopped her from asking.

Instead, she arched an eyebrow at him.

That wicked grin of his flashed in response. "I told you we would meet again."

"Hmm, yes," she conceded, "would you like your fortune teller tip for predicting the obvious?" She signalled with her hands to the congregated ninja forces all around them.

The encampment held the nin armies of several nations who had allied to fight Iwagakure, Suna and Konoha included. The rising Shogun's attempt to control the continent had been predictably met with resistance on all fronts.

"If I remember correctly, you weren't exactly concurring with my prediction," Gaara replied.

"Can't blame a girl for hanging on to the last hope of avoiding her harasser," she said with an exaggerated sigh. "One can always dream."

"Harasser?" the redhead inquired arrogantly. "I think the term saviour is more apt."

Sakura let out a loud, dry laugh. "He would naturally think I wouldn't have been able to escape without his help. How could I have thought otherwise?"

"It shows just how poor your perception is," he countered. "You should be thankful I came running along."

"If my memory serves me right," she replied, snickering softly, "it was my kunai that was almost buried in your throat."

"And it was my sand strangling your neck."

Sakura sighed. "An instance that should have forewarned me of your groping tendencies."

"I do make an effort to be honest in my dealings," the redhead replied, his grin widening.

She had to laugh at that, shoulders shaking with mirth. This inevitably caught the attention of some of the nin around them who turned to survey the couple with intriguing eyes. Becoming aware of this, Sakura cleared her throat and strove for sobriety. They were in a war camp after all.

A change of subject was in order. "When did you arrive?" she asked.

"Last night," he replied, very much aware of prying eyes. If he'd had his way he would've preferred for their verbal sparring to take place somewhere private. Unfortunately this wasn't an option; not with conflict brewing on the horizon. "We were slightly delayed because of the weather. But at least we managed to get here for the first council this afternoon."

"From what I saw you're already sending out teams," Sakura replied, nodding towards the group he'd been addressing before. They were several feet away preparing for departure, checking supplies and readying their weapons.

"We can't afford not to have any surveillance," the redhead said, a grim look in his eyes. "I'll be leading a reconnaissance team to see what our enemy is up to. If this alliance is going to work, we need to catch Iwagakure off guard to be able to topple their Shogun. For that we need the exact location of his troops and information on their activities."

She nodded solemnly, agreeing wholeheartedly.

Gaara decided then and there that he didn't like it when she was serious. He much preferred her expression when she was slashing out with her sharp tongue at him or when she was irritated by his words or, better yet, when she was laughing. Her laughter had a rather peculiar effect on him, he had to admit. It was akin to the sensation he'd experienced when he'd managed to get his sand to carry him through the air for the first time. A strange association in his way of thinking but he couldn't avoid making it.

As such, he decided to cure her of her solemn look before he departed. "Try not to miss me too much at the council."

His words had the desired effect: she sniggered.

"I think I'll go about and ease the minds of whoever is attending by informing them beforehand that you'll be absent," she countered with a look of contentment, "it'll be a load off all our minds."

He chuckled. "With the long hours it'll take for them to agree on anything thanks to all that diplomatic gibberish, you'll be bored to death without me. Admit it."

"Better bored than groped, I always say," Sakura replied with a sweet smile. "You know, I might take advantage of the council to let your sister know about your atrocious behaviour towards me during your Iwagakure infiltration mission."

Gaara shook his head in silent laughter. If she'd recognized him as Suna no Akaoni, then it was evident for her to know who his sister was. "It's one of the benefits of being a Shogun's brother: I can get away with anything."

This elicited a fit of laughter from her. She recognized his bluff for what it was; Suna's Shogun was famous for ruling with a firm hand. With her being the eldest, it wasn't likely for her brothers to be exempt from such treatment.

"It must be so nice to live in a world of psychotic delusion such as yours," she told him with a shake of her head.

"You should try it sometime," he told her with a wolfish grin, "I guarantee it's much more enjoyable."

As he spoke, he signalled towards the ninja team awaiting orders some distance way. At Gaara's summons, they stood and formed ranks, ready to depart.

Sakura tsked. "Such despotism."

"Some call it efficiency," he replied, turning around and starting to walk towards his squad.

It was then that she made her third and final mistake:

"Good luck and make it back safely!" she called out.

It was a simple farewell, more a reflex action than anything else. It was the goodbye one said to fellow ninja whenever they departed on a mission where there was a high degree of danger involved; a sincere and genuine leave-taking. The words left her mouth without her even thinking about it.

Gaara took it as such too. He turned to look at her over his shoulder before nodding and lifting his hand in silent farewell.

Therefore, when she finished the errands she had to run and made her way back to Konoha's side of the encampment, Sakura approached the tent of her own Shogun without a sliver of suspicion on her mind.

Nothing could have forewarned her of her errors. In her mind she'd done nothing wrong. Her conscience was clear.

It was until she entered the tent and found Tsunade-shishou sitting there behind her desk, a sly devilish smile on her face, that the pink haired kunoichi felt a shiver of foreboding crawl its way up her spine.

Fighting it back, she nodded in greeting and reported for duty.

"From what I hear," Konoha's Shogun commented casually, "you're on rather friendly terms with Suna no Akaoni."

Sakura knew better than to trust that nonchalant tone of hers. "Yes, I am. You know very well we helped each other escape Iwagakure. There's no surprise there."

Tsunade kept on grinning. "True. But in your report you didn't mention the amazingly congenial relationship the two of you seem to have".

Emerald eyes narrowed at her.

"I mean," the Shogun continued, "you did approach the man and engaged him in conversation, making him laugh in the process. Even though hearing him laugh scared the hell out of the people around you, it makes your accomplishment all the more commendable."

The pink haired kunoichi swallowed. She was certain she would hate where her shishou was leading her. Curse her fellow Konoha nin and their efficiency when gathering information!

"You were also rather concerned with his wellbeing just before he departed for his mission," Tsunade finished, "you parted ways as if you'd known each other for years."

Sakura's expression turned grim; her self-preservation instincts were telling her she should be running for the door.

"Shishou, what are you implying?" she asked, knowing she wouldn't like the answer.

Impossibly, Tsunade's grin intensified. "What I'm trying to say, my dear deshi, is that you get along with Suna no Akaoni very well. You've sweetened him up, as they say."

Sakura felt her mouth go dry.

She never would've termed it in such a way; Gaara, after all, was famous for his demonic tendencies. It would take more than that to _sweeten_ him up in any way. Nonetheless, she had to admit her shishou had a point: no other person had ever approached Suna no Akaoni the way she inadvertently had. If she thought about it, the event could be considered rather unusual. If she'd been an outside witness to her exchange with the redhead, she would've been pretty shocked.

But this didn't explain her shishou's suspiciously enthusiastic reaction.

"Fine," Sakura conceded, "I may be on good terms with him. But it doesn't mean anything."

"On the contrary, deshi," Tsunade replied happily, "it means everything. You've gained a very powerful ally, one we can use. Do you know why the Red Demon is never included in teams that involve members from outside of Suna?"

"Because he's famous for his impulsiveness, his lack of patience and his tendency to kill allies along with enemies," Sakura answered. "He only works with people he knows."

"Exactly!" her shishou exclaimed, standing up from her seat. "But the situation has now changed, thanks to you. Since you're friendly with him, you'll be able to work with him. You said so yourself in your report, the two of you worked really well together on that last mission of yours."

The pink haired kunoichi paled. "I don't th-"

But Tsunade cut her off. "Remember the 'deliberate capture' mission we were discussing on the way here? The one we could use to get Iwagakure's most confidential information?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Of course I remember. I was the one who came up with the plan."

"And why was it that we decided we couldn't pull it off?"

"Because no one would be able to get me out of Iwagakure's main headquarters without getting killed," she replied, "and risking an elite team is out of the question. There would be too many lives at stake."

"Well, "Tsunade remarked, her smile wide, "what happens when you add a sand demon to the mix?"

Horrified emerald eyes widened when she finally caught up with what her shishou was telling her. "If you do that, then you get _me_ killed!"

The older woman threw her head back and laughed. "True, he might get a little carried away. But I think it's worth the chance."

"That's because it won't be you on the receiving end of his sand!" Sakura exclaimed. "I think I prefer to take my chances with the Iwagakure jailers."

Tsunade thoroughly ignored her complaints. "You have to admit that you befriending him was a great stroke of luck. We wouldn't have been able to pull this off otherwise."

"I haven't agreed to the mission!" Emerald eyes grew more anxious by the second.

"I'll be informing Temari about our plan right after the council," Konoha's Shogun continued as if she hadn't heard her pupil. "I'm sure she'll be more than happy to lend us her demonic brother for this enterprise of ours. After all, she must be aware already of the way your charm has worked on him."

"It's likely Gaara won't agree either!" Sakura exclaimed, trying desperately to get out this mess.

"Maybe he won't but that's what we've got you for," Tsunade remarked with a demonic laugh, "you can sweet talk him into it."

Falling into the nearest chair with a groan, Sakura buried her face in her hands.


	4. Courting the Flame

**Title:** Courting the flame  
**Fandom:** Naruto  
**Prompt:** #04 - Decent, _100_prompts_  
**Character/Pairing:** Sabaku no Gaara/Haruno Sakura  
**Word Count:** 3452  
**Summary:** "The pink haired kunoichi was on the verge of losing her patience. She reminded herself it would do no good to topple the tent around him and leave him there."

~xxx~**  
**

Sakura breathed deeply. There really was nothing to do. She'd just have to go on with it and accept it, just like any other mission. Sure, her life would be in grave danger and the probabilities of survival were few given who she would be working with but if it was for the good of Konoha, she was willing to go all out.

Of course, this didn't mean she had to like it.

Her eyebrow twitched in irritation when she remembered the coy words of her Shishou.

"Since you're in such good terms with him, then it's your call to inform him of what we're planning," Konoha's Shogun had said, her smile sly and treacherous. "Temari already agreed but it's up to you to recruit him."

As Sakura made her way towards Suna's section of the encampment, she began daydreaming of ways she could pay Tsunade-shishou back when all of this was done. Revenge would be so sweet, she was sure of it. If she survived, that is. The plan she'd come up with to infiltrate Iwagakure bordered on suicidal even without the element of a sand demon involved. But desperate times called for desperate measures and they needed to bring down their enemy as fast as possible.

This was the sole reason why she found herself, two nights after the council, walking up towards Suna no Akaoni's tent with the purpose of handing him her life on a silver platter. The metaphor was apt, she realized. If the egocentric man didn't fulfil his part of the mission, Sakura would be left at the mercy of Iwagakure's forces; something everyone knew was basically non-existent. Especially due to their Shogun's war mongering tendencies. Getting their hands on a Konoha spy of her calibre would be the highlight of their war campaign.

In other words, she would be tortured, maimed and then executed. Hung upon the battlements as an example of what would happen to anyone who didn't bow down to Iwagakure.

And to think that avoiding this fate rested on the whims of an unpredictable redheaded nin with a propensity kill everyone in front of him first and ask questions later.

Sakura felt hysterical laughter bubbling up her throat. But she managed to push it down. She'd been through worse, right? This wasn't anything she couldn't overcome.

She shook her head at her vain attempt to reassure herself.

After asking a couple of Suna nin where the tent of the Shogun's youngest brother could be located, she was pointed in the right direction and graced with commiserate looks. Sakura simply smiled and gave no outward appearance of wanting to run the hell out of there.

But playing coward had never been in her repertoire; she wasn't about to start now. Besides, when dealing with an opponent of Suna no Akaoni's nature, it was in her best interest to take the offensive.

"Gaara?" she called out once she was outside the closed tent opening.

Overlooking the canvas structure, Sakura had to admit Suna's camping equipment was a tad better quality than Konoha's. The material was thicker and looked like it could withstand some pretty tough winds. Of course, with the desert and the ruthless conditions it presented, it couldn't be otherwise. The redhead's tent was bigger than everyone else's, tall enough to stand inside and spacious enough to include something more than a bedroll.

'Being the Shogun's brother really does have its perks,' Sakura thought dryly as she heard some rustling inside the tent.

"Sakura?" asked a familiar voice from within. It conveyed a certain amount of surprise and amusement.

"Yes, it's me," she replied with a roll of her eyes. Naturally, for him this whole thing would be akin to a walk in the park. He wouldn't be the one putting his life on the line, after all. "I need to talk to you."

"So I assumed with you coming all this way," he replied condescendingly.

Sakura ground her teeth. She promised she would be patient. She would not clobber him before the start of their mission.

Clearing her throat, she tried for a calm tone. "It's in the interest of both our nations that you listen to what I have to say."

He snorted in disgust. "You're here on official business?" his tone conveying his incredulity, "how remarkably boring of you."

Sakura's mouth fell open. Her emerald eyes glared at him through the material of the tent. "Why else would you expect me to be here?"

"You can't be so dull-witted as to ask me that," Gaara replied in amused disdain, "I credited you with more imagination."

Her hands fisted at her sides. The nerve of this man! "I see you're still adhering to your delusions," she snapped before proceeding to count to twenty to get her temper back under control.

He was silent for almost as long. "Ah, so that's what my sister meant," he commented thoughtfully, "she informed me there was a joint mission with Konoha she wanted me to take part in; said it would definitely catch my interest."

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose and refused to think about the implications behind the words of Suna's Shogun. That he would be interested in this mission solely because _she_ would be his partner wasn't something she wanted to deal with right now. Sakura refused to feel mortified. She was doing this for the greater good, to avoid unnecessary deaths and to topple a raging tyrant. Keeping that in mind would help her cling to her sanity.

"Well then, are you interested or not?" she asked, not able to hide her annoyance.

Gaara chuckled darkly. "Is it just you and me?"

"Yes," she replied with a sigh. He really did have the maturity of a toddler. "There's a high degree of danger involved so the less people who take part, the better.

"You do realize the danger part never applies when it comes to me," he remarked arrogantly.

"It's the only reason why I have any interest in you," Sakura answered sweetly. "Besides, it's me who'll be exposed to almost all the danger. You'll only be taking part in the finale."

Only silence answered her. She didn't know why but she felt as if a dark shadow abruptly descended over the tent. A prickly sensation crawled up her spine only to be attributed to the nightly chill. After all, she had been standing outside his tent without any cover.

"Well?" she prodded impatiently after his lack of response finally got to her.

"You'd better tell me all you're planning," he finally said, his voice abruptly deprived of its dry amusement.

Sakura blinked at his change of demeanour but didn't allow it to deter her. "I refuse to talk to your tent flap about it," she remarked in annoyance.

"It's not like it's a locked door," Gaara replied, his tone regaining some of its deviousness.

"You haven't invited me to step in," she countered.

"I never would have labelled you as a prude."

"I'm not just going to walk in there!" Sakura exclaimed, unable to fight back her irritation. "I don't even know if you're decent or not."

"I guess it depends on your definition of the word," he stated in a sinful voice.

The pink haired kunoichi was on the verge of losing her patience. She reminded herself it would do no good to topple the tent around him and leave him there. "Do you have pants on?" she asked brusquely.

She heard him rummage around for a bit before answering. "Yes."

"Good!"

Without further ado, she opened the tent flap and walked right in.

Gaara was sitting crossed legged in the middle of a pallet to the left side of the tent. There was a backpack on the floor, a few kunai and scrolls scattered next to it. A small table with a lamp on it stood next to the pallet and there was a single chair covered with discarded clothing. As her emerald eyes surveyed the redhead with a scrutinizing glance, Sakura was relieved to realize he was telling the truth: he _was_ wearing pants.

But not much else. His feet were bare as was his chest and as he sat there giving her an arrogant look, she was happy she hadn't walked into the tent before asking him about his clothing.

Making a point of ignoring the impressive breadth of his shoulders and the muscles of his upper arms, Sakura proceeded to get to the point. "Alright, the mission consists in obtaining Iwagakure's tactical information," she started, crossing her arms in front of her. "As you already know, they are using Kurogane Fortress as the main headquarters for their army."

Gaara nodded. He'd spend the last couple of days surveying the activities of said stronghold with his team of ninja. They'd made their way back to the alliance camp to report on what they'd seen and heard but it wasn't much. The fortress was famous for being impenetrable.

"It's where the Shogun and his Generals meet for strategic meetings," Sakura continued. "The point of this infiltration mission is to obtain the intel on their tactical plans so we can then thwart them and bring them down."

"Sounds all good in theory," the redhead remarked, "but as you well know, obtaining said information won't be your standard amateur mission. What do you have in mind?"

"I plan to get kidnapped," she replied with no hesitation, "by the Shogun's very men."

His eyes turned to hardened jade when she said this. But he remained silent and allowed her to continue.

"I'll pretend to be on a reconnaissance mission, trying to obtain information on one of his Generals. I'll let myself get caught by the man. After he recognizes me as the right hand of Konoha's Shogun, he'll have no choice but to take me into the fortress to his leader."

"And you think he'll leave you unharmed while he does that?" Gaara asked, his voice icy.

"I'm sure he won't," Sakura replied with a grim smile, "but that's also part of the plan. The more beat up I am, the less they'll suspect of me when I'm inside."

"They could just kill you straight out."

"No, they won't," she countered. "They'll start a hostage negotiation process with Tsunade-shishou. They'll use me to try to get her to bow to their whims. They know very well I'm her prized pupil."

The hardened look in his eyes hadn't lessened. "So, once you're beat up and most likely incapacitated inside the fortress, what do you plan to do?"

"That's exactly the reason why it has to be me going in there," she told him, "I have the techniques to heal myself. Considering who I am, the Shogun won't want me far. He'll keep me captive in his own lodgings, where security is tight. Meaning I won't have to deal with it since I'll already be inside. It's also where his meetings take place. All I'll have to do is go on a little eavesdropping campaign."

"Your reasoning seems sound," Gaara admitted, "although a bit too passive for my tastes. If it were up to me, I'd just kill the man once I'm inside."

"And throw the whole mission out the window, yes," Sakura replied wryly. "Iwagakure's Shogun has the most formidable defensive jutsus imaginable put in place around his own person. Not to mention he's always accompanied by his elite guards, whose main concern is to prevent such assassination attempts."

"Are you implying I wouldn't be able to get through them?" he asked haughtily.

"No, you wouldn't even be able to get near them," she answered him with a condescending chuckle. "If it were you getting captured, you'd be placed in a high security cell in the lower dungeons where you'd be locked away using the most advanced restraining techniques."

The redhead grumbled in response at her accurate assessment.

"So leave the dealings with the Shogun to me," Sakura said, "you can concentrate on your own part."

"I was wondering when you were going to get there," Gaara commented dryly. "What exactly is my role in this whole plan of yours?"

Letting out a deep breath, she plunged right into it. "You're in charge of getting me out."

The redhead's eyes widened for a moment as he regarded her, the expression in their jade depths suddenly unfathomable. He was silent for a few moments before he spoke again. "You're going to trust _me_ with your life?" he asked, his disbelief evident.

"As things stand, yes," she replied. "You're the only one who'd be able to manage it. Getting me out of the Shogun's quarters isn't an easy feat. We need someone who's insane enough and skilled enough to pull it off. So yes, I'm being forced to put my life in your hands."

He cocked his head to the side, thoughtful. "That's a rather novel concept for me," he confessed. "It's my first time doing something like this. Are you sure you want me to do it?"

"No, I'm not," Sakura admitted impatiently, "but I don't have much of a choice. I can only hope you don't decide to dismantle the entire building with me in it."

He grinned devilishly at her disgruntlement. "I can't give you any guarantees."

The pink haired kunoichi seemed to deflate where she was standing. "I somehow knew you'd say that."

Gaara chuckled in response. "C'mon, have some faith in me. I didn't get you killed the last time, why should I do so now?"

She groaned in reply, closing her eyes and massaging her temples with her fingertips. If she answered his question honestly, she would definitely fall into depression. He seemed to be unaware he was a borderline psychotic sand demon.

"Besides," he continued, his tone turning dark and causing her to look up at him, "the idea of you being held captive doesn't exactly sit well with me."

Emerald eyes regarded him considerately, not sure what to make of that statement. She thought she should ask but decided not to, uncertain if she wanted to hear the answer. The memory of Tsunade-shishou saying she'd managed to sweeten Suna no Akaoni up tumbled into her mind only to be instantly repressed. It was simply too ludicrous a concept.

"My Shishou is going to try to prolong the hostage negotiation as long as possible but it'll likely not last that long. Iwagakure's Shogun isn't known for his patience," she informed him. "So you need to give me four days before going in to get me out."

"Three days," he corrected, his voice leaving no room for argument. "No longer than that. I'll be stationed near the fortress just in case anything in your carefully planned scheming goes wrong."

She narrowed her eyes at him but acceded. "So you agree to do this?"

"Yes I do," he told her. "You wanted the Red Demon in your plan, now you've got him."

Sakura swallowed, not sure if she should be happy or terrified at the prospect. "There's a meeting tomorrow morning so we can go over all the details. Your sister and Tsunade-shishou want to make sure nothing is left out."

"I have to agree with them there," Gaara admitted, standing up from the pallet. "This whole stratagem of yours has the potential to turn very ugly, not to mention lethal."

The light from the lamp fell on him then, illuminating his features and the contours of his bare skin. Sakura couldn't help but take it all in and admit it was quite an alluring sight. At the thought, her previous interactions with him came to mind and she chuckled inwardly despite herself. Now that the stress of getting the mission going had been overcome and having finally accepted he would be take part in the whole thing, she suddenly felt lighter.

"Well, you did say there was something I got out of my profession," she countered.

"True, but I never would've thought you the suicidal type."

"Only when I have to deal with you," Sakura replied with a sweet smile.

The redhead chuckled. "Admit it," he told her, "working with me isn't so bad."

"When my life will be hanging entirely on your whims?" she retorted. "It's more than enough to give me nightmares."

"My whims have perfectly acceptable inclinations," Gaara told her, taking a step closer.

She graced him with a stuck-up look at his proximity but didn't back away. "I thought we'd already concluded that your whims function under the worst possible delusions."

"If that's the case, then it's in your best interest to cater to them," he told her, coming to stand a hairsbreadth away.

"Is that so?" she asked, her eyes level with the hollow at his throat. Now that he was close, she realized his skin smelled of spicy soap; the appealing scent provoked a queer sensation in the pit of her stomach.

"You said so yourself," he told her, snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her towards him. "If your life depends on my whims, then you're better off keeping them fed."

"Ah!" she exclaimed, seemingly unfazed with being held up against his lean frame. "There go your groping tendencies again."

"I'm afraid it's a reflex action when it comes to you," he confessed.

She opened her mouth to reply but he didn't let her. His lips descended on hers and before she was aware of what was happening, his tongue was luring hers out to play. For a moment, Sakura thought she should charge her fist and punch him in the gut for his sheer brazenness. But then her senses caught up with her and the feel of his lips mixed with the heady scent of his skin made her return his attentions with enthusiasm.

Besides, she would only be kidding herself if she didn't admit she'd been ogling his magnificent torso since she first stepped into his tent. Lifting her arms to his shoulders, she settled herself more firmly against him, eliciting a dark rumble of amusement from him.

Gaara's kiss was just like him: impatient, impulsive and wild. He kissed her hard, without any trace of softness or gentleness. His lips worked with the sole purpose of taking pleasure from her and giving it in return. Exploring her mouth thoroughly, he pressed one hand against lower back while he buried the other in her roseate hair to pull her head back, deepening the angle of their kiss.

He tasted of wind and heat and flame. Sakura found herself floating in a daze where nothing existed but the delicious friction of his lips against hers and the feel of his bare skin under her fingertips. Who would've thought this was how Suna no Akaoni kissed? It was a revelation! Never in her life would she have imagined making such a discovery and finding it so magnificent.

It was only after a long exchange that the redhead finally pulled back, releasing her mouth. They were both breathing heavily by then, each caught up in the pleasurable discovery of the other. He looked down at her but instead of the mischievous glint in his eyes he'd had when he initiated the kiss, they conveyed an altogether different expression. His jade orbs were darker and serious, reflecting unnamed thoughts.

Sakura didn't know if she approved of it and definitely didn't want to think about what his expression might mean. So she decided to rid him of it.

"I'm afraid this reaches a whole new level of harassment on your part," she commented primly.

His customary grin came to his lips. "It's only harassment if you don't like it," he quipped in reply.

She chuckled at him. "Let's just consider it a life-insurance down payment on my part."

"A wise move," he admitted. "Will I get another payment if I bring you back alive?"

"It'll all depend on how you behave during our mission," she told him, stepping back and forcing him to release her.

"My tutors always said I performed better with a reward system," Gaara remarked, his voice laced with sin.

Sakura couldn't help laughing at his shamelessness. "I'll consider it," she said as she turned to step towards the tent opening.

"You do that," the redhead replied. "Like I said before, you might find it worth your while."

She smiled, considering his half-naked form in the light of the lamp for a moment. "Sweet dreams," she said in farewell.

Gaara simply stood there, his devious smirk on his features and an intense look in his jade eyes. He looked like a big hunting cat, ready to spring in pursuit of his prey. "Sleep well," was his sole reply.

As she walked back towards her own quarters, Sakura smiled in self-deprecation. It seemed Suna no Akaoni's assessment of her choice in profession had been right.

She really did get her thrills by getting herself in into hazardous situations and courting danger.


	5. Allow me to elucidate

**Title:** Allow me to elucidate  
**Fandom:** Naruto  
**Prompt:** #13 - Wrong, _100_prompts_  
**Character/Pairing:** Sabaku no Gaara/Haruno Sakura  
**Word Count:** 2869  
**Summary:** "Sakura soon learned that Suna no Akaoni didn't know the meaning of the word restraint."

~xxx~**  
**

Things like this weren't supposed to happen. Sakura was very much aware of that. Situations like the one she was currently in simply weren't standard procedure.

There was a full-out war on the brink of exploding and the armies of the alliance had gathered to fight back Iwagakure's tyrant and send him back to his own country. There was an atmosphere of severe determination all around. It could be clearly seen in the eyes of all nin as they went about their daily chores, coming and going on missions. All of them were here to wield battle and to protect what they held dear.

Knowing all this didn't help Sakura. As a matter of fact, it only helped to emphasize the erroneous path her life had suddenly taken. Being surrounded by her fellow ninja and the seriousness of their demeanour only accentuated the wrongness of her circumstance.

This was the reason why, back against the bark of a tree hidden in the shadows while Suna no Akaoni's mouth assaulted her lips and his roaming hands slipped under her clothing, Sakura tried her best to put a stop to their heated exchange.

Not that it was the first time it happened.

After the meeting with both their Shoguns, they had been given a week to prepare for their infiltration mission. Both of them had been relieved from participating in any other assignments and were left to their own devices. It was the least they could be afforded when they were about to risk their lives for the good of them all. In Sakura's case, at any rate; why Gaara should get time off was something the pink haired kunoichi didn't understand. He'd only be coming in at the last minute while she did most of the risking. But since her safety depended on him being content (or as content as a maladjusted demon ever could be), she kept her opinions to herself.

It was only when she stepped into her tent that night and found him waiting for her that she realized his having time off could bring about other kinds of unforeseen consequences. Sakura didn't even have time to open her mouth to question his presence before he was upon her. His hard mouth settled over hers while his arms wrapped around her, pulling her close and refusing to let go until he'd reduced her to a mass of gelatinous limbs. Admittedly, she hadn't put up much of a fight. After having tasted him once and experiencing the thrill of garnering the attention of a man such as him, Sakura was more than willing to be assaulted by his person.

What harm could it do? The enjoyment they were experiencing was definitely mutual.

But her inexperience when dealing with rampant sand demons became evident. The whole incident should have warned her: Suna no Akaoni's fixations were a serious thing indeed. Nothing could come between him and whatever he set his eyes on. And from the looks of it, pink haired kunoichi were very much included in this premise.

A series of impromptu encounters throughout the entirety of the next day had left her floundering. The redhead seemed to appear out of nowhere, his sole intent to steal her breath away in hasty interludes while she ran small errands for her Shogun. He'd show up with no announcement, pull her towards the nearest available cover and assault her senses with his lips, tongue and teeth. But due to the busy camp, such exchanges couldn't last long; there was always someone walking nearby or approaching. As a consequence, he'd disappear as swiftly and stealthily as he'd come, leaving her there to regain her lost bearings and wonder if she'd just imagined the whole thing.

Things were worse at night. He'd slither his way through the camp after lights out, silently and craftily like the demon he was, and slip into her tent. The first time he'd done it she'd almost strangled him. How could he even think he could get away with something like that? Her Shogun's tent was right next to hers and Tsunade-Shishou's chakra perception was more developed than anyone elses. Of course she'd know if there was someone in her pupil's tent, especially if that someone was a demonic sand fiend.

The reprobate had simply smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "Why don't we take it elsewhere then?" he'd remarked, sweeping her into his arms before disappearing both of them in a cloud of sand.

He'd taken her to the edge of the woods and under the shadow of a tall tree, had proceeded to rid her of her protests and apprehension. An exercise he'd repeated the very next night. Both of them had ended up in a semi-naked state, breathing hard as their damp skins mingled in a daze of shared euphoria.

Sakura soon learned that Suna no Okaoni didn't know the meaning of the word restraint.

Currently, this was the third time he spirited her away in the middle of the night. It seemed the more he touched her, the more his fixation grew. Of course, the condition was far from one-sided. Whenever she caught his scent on the wind or became aware of his presence, her heart would leap into her throat and her skin would crave the feel of his hands. His eyes were already a particular favourite: their jade depths shifting to a darker shade whenever he looked at her with lascivious intent.

Naturally though, there were moments of perfect lucidity in which she wondered just what the _hell_ she was doing. Not only were the conditions completely inappropriate but the man she was tangling with himself was something altogether unsuitable.

Here she was, in the middle of a war camp, tangling her limbs in the shadows with a volatile demon of the first rate.

It was inevitable for her reason to kick in.

"Gaara," she gasped after attempting to pull back from his fierce kiss for the third time, "we really shouldn't be doing this."

He growled in response. "You're not about to tell me you don't like, you liar." Teeth scraping down the side of her neck, the redhead lifted his hand inside her shirt to trace his fingers under the contour of her breast.

Sakura sucked in a tight breath in response. "It's not that!" she exclaimed, trying to sound firm. "This is...this is... dammit, it's just _wrong_."

Admittedly, she could have used another term to express herself but given the heated circumstances, it was the best word she could come with.

The way Gaara suddenly tensed in her arms however, and the manner with which he swiftly removed his hands before taking a step back, made her realize she'd made a mistake.

Abruptly bereft of his warmth while still immersed in a pleasurable haze, it took her mind a moment to catch up with what her senses were telling her. When her eyes blinked and turned up to look at him, the expression on his face made her gulp visibly.

The change in his attitude had happened from one second to the next and completely without any warning. From the emanations of his chakra, it was as if the man standing in front of her was a completely different person. It was the clearest evidence she'd witnessed of the volatility of his nature yet.

Jade eyes were narrowed, a furious glint in their depths. "You think this is wrong?" As he spoke, he gestured with his hand between their bodies and Sakura noticed the disturbingly controlled tone of his voice.

It was enough to make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. 'And I'm sure he isn't even truly angry yet,' the pink haired kunoichi thought in dismay. She wasn't sure in what way she'd stepped out of line but it was necessary to rectify her blunder. Her survival instincts kicked in and accurately told her that being submissive was the only way to come out of this unscathed. Going about this smartly was definitely in her best interest.

She breathed out deeply, choosing her words carefully. "No, it's not wrong per se. It's just that, well, we _are_ in the middle of a war encampment," she said, her frustration genuine.

It seemed her statement was step in the right direction. There was a slight lessening of tension in his shoulders but he still crossed his arms over his chest as he spoke. "What's that got to do with anything?"

Shaking her head inwardly, Sakura knew it was useless to explain this kind of subtle circumstance to a demon. Nonetheless, she gave it a shot. "Well, the atmosphere here is rather solemn. People here know they will be out in the battlefield soon, not knowing if they will die or if those they love will make it out alive. We're here to fight for the rights of our countries against a man who plans to take it all away. It's not the ideal setting for the development for a clandestine affair, is it?"

The redhead seemed to consider her words, cocking his head to the side. But in the end he found them lacking. "If death will be coming upon us soon, all the more reason to make the best of life while we can, don't you think?"

Sakura refrained from smacking her forehead with her palm. Trust him to come up with that kind of conclusion. "Yes but..." she trailed off, unable to find words to make him understand.

"But what?" he asked. There was a strain of anger thrumming through him still.

"We've been creeping away like guilt-ridden teenagers who are afraid of getting caught," she replied sullenly. "It's not very adult-like, is it?"

"It's not like we have much of an option," he countered testily, "how else am I supposed to spend time with you?"

'Spend time with me?' Sakura thought in shock. She did her best not to gape too much at his words. Unpredictability really was one of his most prominent traits. What the hell was he saying? All these encounters had happened solely because he wanted to get into her pants...right? There was no other reason behind them.

"What do you mean?" she finally asked, unable to hide her perplexity.

His anger increased in intensity as he spoke. "How else are we supposed to bloody manage it? I can't very well just come up to you in the middle of camp. You saw the looks they threw our way when we met here for the first time."

Emerald eyes blinked in utter confusion. "I don't-"

"Sakura, I fucking know I'm a monster!" he shouted, his voice livid. "You don't need to remind me!"

Dark tendrils of chakra snaked all around him, immersing him in shadow. Teeth bared in a silent snarl, the redhead turned to walk away.

The pink haired kunochi had no idea of where the hell they were standing anymore. Unable to follow his reasoning, which seemed to make a lot of sense to him, it would be an understatement to say she was treading on dangerous ground. His words were simply not adding up. But she'd be damned if she'd let him walk away!

She whipped out her hand and caught his forearm in an iron grip. "I wouldn't have labelled you the type who actually cared about what others thought." Her voice was grim, barely hiding her own infamous temper.

Jade eyes turned from where her hand was gripping him towards her face. "I don't give a rat's ass about what others think about it me. But you, I'm afraid, are a different story."

That last verbal jab was like a strike of lightning, illuminating the obscure recesses she'd been unable to see. He thought she actually cared about the opinions of others! It was why he'd been meeting with her clandestinely, away from prying eyes, and the reason why his anger was triggered in the first place when she said this whole thing was wrong.

The idiot thought she cared about what others might think if they saw her with him!

In his own messed up and twisted way, he thought he was being considerate by keeping their exchanges hidden in the shadows. Something which, given the high levels of heat they'd reached, wasn't an entirely bad thing. But the reason why he'd initiated such surreptitious encounters to begin with was something else altogether. Gaara thought she wanted to keep their liaison hidden because it was something she'd be ashamed of.

Between the utter lack of communication and the confusion of lustful tendencies, one thing was entirely clear: apart from being insane, Suna no Akaoni was the most asinine male on the face of the planet.

It was too much for her female sensitivities to bear. Her temper snapped its leash.

"Don't you dare imply I give a damn about what others say about you and me!" she shouted; it was her turn to be livid. "How could you even think I'd be worried about what people say when I was the one who approached you in public in the first place! I was the one who looked for you! And here you are telling me I give a damn about the opinions of others. You cannot be serious!

His eyes had gone wide in surprise. Sakura wasn't sure if it was because of her anger or because of what she was saying. Either way, she wasn't about to back down now.

"I can talk to whoever I want, whenever I want in front of whoever I want!" she continued to exclaim. "Don't you dare catalogue me with the shallow and superficial. So you're a raging lunatic with an inclination for mayhem and destruction... so freaking what? I can talk to any lunatic I want and if I want to kiss one in public, I can bloody hell do so too!"

As she finished, Sakura lunged forward and grabbed the neckline of his vest. Pulling him down, she smacked her lips against his, uncaring if he was still angry. Without giving him time to react, she forced his mouth open and lured his tongue out with her own. She kissed him thoroughly and deeply, not wanting to leave any sliver of a doubt that she was kissing him exclusively because she wanted to.

After having made her point, she pulled back, catching his lower lip between her teeth and moaning slightly with delight.

Jade eyes blinked down at her. It was Gaara's turn to be confused.

"If that's the case," he said; after her little display, his anger had dissipated just as quickly as it had come, "then why the hell did we stop kissing in the first place?"

She had to chuckle at the annoyed tone in his voice. "Because we are not going to keep creeping about like criminals," she told him firmly. "If you, errr, want to spend time with me as you said, then you can come to see me like any other person would."

The expression on his face made it evident he wasn't entirely convinced with this.

Sakura smiled up at him, shaking her head slightly. He really was clueless. In many aspects, just like she'd thought before, he really was just like small boy. This made her wonder about the many experiences he'd most likely lived through to turn him the way he was. It wasn't a happy notion and she filed away the thought for future examination.

For now, there were more pressing matters to attend to. From the looks of it, especially because of the mission they'd be performing together, she wasn't going to be rid of him anytime soon. Therefore, she would have to dedicate herself to managing him effectively.

"Since you're not doing anything, then you can help me finish my tasks for Tsunade-Shishou during the day," Sakura told him with a mischievous smile. "You might as well be useful."

The redhead shook his head. "Like hell I am! I'll keep you company but I'm not working for anybody."

"Fine!" she replied with a roll of her eyes. "However, we are going to keep your groping tendencies down to a minimum. People won't appreciate it you're too openly making a grab for me, especially not under the political circumstances. Kisses are fine but only so much. We need to keep in mind that there we are all on the brink of war."

He groaned his complaint. "I'd rather stick to our clandestine meetings." As he spoke, he snaked an arm around her and pulled her up against his hard frame.

"No, no more skulking around!" she scolded. Despite her tone, she draped herself happily over him. "Besides, don't you get it? If we're seen together in public, then no one is going to question your presence in my tent at night, not even Tsunade-shishou."

Her voice was perfectly sinful, a tact she'd learned from him.

As Gaara caught up with what she was saying, his lips parted in his characteristic grin: all wiles and trickery.

"I guess this approach has its advantages," he admitted, before lowering his mouth to hers once again.

Smiling into his kiss, Sakura couldn't help but apply herself to providing him with more proof of said admission.


	6. Cresting Wave

**Title:** Cresting Wave  
**Fandom:** Naruto  
**Prompt:** #18 - Untouchable, _100_prompts_  
**Character/Pairing:** Sabaku no Gaara/Haruno Sakura  
**Word Count:** 1913  
**Summary:** "...he was more similar to the likes of molten magma. Like lava, his unchecked path of destruction instantly turned everything he touched to ash."

~xxx~**  
**

_I'm counting on you._

The words echoed inside his mind, filling it with the sound of her husky voice. The strange feeling they had evoked hadn't left him and he'd been riding a cresting wave of unknown emotion for the past few days. Gaara knew it would come crashing down soon; there was no way around that. The tension had been rising hour after hour, feeding his already unstable disposition.

"_It's not a matter of trust," she'd said, snaking her naked leg around his, "it's a matter of instinct". Pulling him impossibly closer, Sakura pressed her kiss-bruised lips against his, stretching down the length of his body and igniting the flame that was never quite dormant within him._

The memory of their exchange helped to heat Suna no Akaoni from the inside out. The cold night around him made his breath come out in white puffs but under his cloak, the remembrance of Sakura's warm skin was enough to allow him to ignore the chill. Instinct, she'd said... and she had been right. He'd managed to live this long solely by relying on his instincts. Admittedly, they hadn't always taken others into consideration but at least they'd gotten _him_ out alive. So when she said this whole mission wasn't about trust but of the gut feeling within, the redhead had to concede she had played her cards right.

Damn the woman and her ability to read him so accurately.

_In a moaning and fiery display of fervour, sweaty skin creating just the right amount of delicious friction, she'd gone ahead and appealed to the primal traits of his dark personality. There was no need to use words; she knew very well what she was provoking in him. With no desire to stop her, he'd inadvertently opened the locked gate that kept the world out and let her in._

Jade eyes bright from beneath his cloak hood, Gaara surveyed the shadowed landscape before him in an attempt to compose his thoughts. He didn't know how Sakura had managed it. True, he'd told her she had to cater to his whims if she'd wanted to stay alive. But never in his life would he have thought she'd be able to pull it off so effectively. As a matter of fact, she hadn't been content with satisfying his capricious nature; oh no. That hadn't been enough.

Sakura had decided to dance with the red demon of the sands and had, just like she wanted, garnered his undivided attention.

'It just goes to show you how much she values her life' Gaara thought wryly. But his cynic thinking didn't sound convincing, even to him. Instincts were instincts and his gut was telling him there was something else at play when it came to the roseate haired kunoichi. If he was honest with himself, he'd admit to a curious spark igniting between them from the moment they'd first encountered each other.

But the redhead was never one to linger on the past. His present was always much more important. Currently, he was aware of the tension that had been building up since the moment he was forced let her go so she could walk straight into peril. His inexperience with emotions didn't allow him to pinpoint the nature of his feeling but he was very much aware of the strain present throughout his whole body. Not to mention the ever rising urge to maim and annihilate whoever and whatever got in his way. Gaara had been able to keep it under control, purposely avoiding any line of thought that lead him to wonder about the danger Sakura was currently facing. But he was only able to do so to a certain extent and after waiting out the three days he'd agreed to give her, his forbearance was at its very end.

_He heard her breathing catch, her pleasurable gasp ghosting down his neck. Fingernails clinging to whatever skin of his back she was able to grasp, Sakura gave herself up to his keeping. It wasn't a surrender on her part; it was a statement. She was speaking the language of archetypes and the shadow side of his being responded. Rising in answer to her magnetic pull, it settled itself around her and sank its teeth into her, marking and possessing. She fell into the dark embrace he offered, breathless with elation._

Gaara was called a demon for a reason and now, after keeping silent watch over Kurogane Fortress for three very long days, it was time to let his fiendish nature loose upon the world. He may be ignorant of what his emotions were or of what exactly had passed between him and Sakura but he knew one thing.

For him, she was untouchable.

No one who laid a harmful finger on her would be allowed to live. It was an absolute truth.

The demon within him howled in glee at the coming bloodbath and perched itself at the crest of the wave. The time for it to come crashing down upon his enemies had come.

As the watch in his pouch beeped midnight, he pulled off his hood to reveal his crimson hair as he came to his feet under the starlight. His eyes turned towards the large fortress a short distance away, focusing on the patrolling guards walking along its battlements. None of them would have been able to predict the fate that was coming to them.

The blood red demon of the sands had come to make scarlet rivers run.

It was time to let havoc and mayhem descend.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Through the haze of pain, Sakura was aware of an intense feeling of satisfaction. She had always prided herself on her brains and it seemed that once again, they hadn't failed her. After behaving in the exact way she had foreseen, Iwagakure's military goons had brought her precisely where she'd wanted to be: in their Shogun's private rooms.

A beaten body and a broken rib were a small price to pay for the information she had been able to obtain. Not that such a physical state would have been able to incapacitate her completely, oh no; she was a better kunoichi than that. The trick lay in making her captors believe she was useless due to their vicious ministrations and pompous morons that they were, they'd actually fallen for her little act. It was clear now why Iwagakure was on this aimless war path: the officials in its army were a bunch of idiots who believed the promises of glory their leader proffered them. There wasn't a sensible politician among their ranks within a hundred mile radius. Or maybe there was but they had either been killed or taken prisoner.

The decadent levels a country could reach under the guidance of an incompetent leader were something that made Sakura cringe.

Healing herself had been easy, especially since the arrogant asses had left her in a dilapidated heap on the floor. Laughing at her distress they hadn't even bothered to tie her up properly. Nonetheless, she was aware she shouldn't heal herself too much; even idiots like them would notice if her bruises disappeared all of a sudden. So she tended her fracture but didn't mend herself completely, making it seem like every movement she made brought her intense pain whenever one of the guards checked in on her.

Obtaining information from within her cell had been less challenging than she had expected. Especially since the Shogun's meeting room was only a short distance away. She hadn't even had to use the advanced jutsus she had prepared and her mission turned out to be an exercise in skilled eavesdropping. Even an amateur nin would have been able to pull it off. During one instance, the idiots even left the door wide open. There really wasn't a limit to her enemy's stupidity. Now, all the pertaining information she needed was happily filed away inside her brain.

But when the negotiations for her ransom didn't meet the Shogun's expectations, the goons had been sent in to do their dirty work once again; not that she hadn't been expecting it. Even so, she would have preferred not to have to experience another beating. Once more, they left her in a heap and undid the healing of her rib. That had been a little after dusk and she'd been slowly patching herself up since then. Due to her need to avoid suspicion, she couldn't work fast enough to make the pain go away entirely. Besides, it would be an utter waste for her cover to be blown now when rescue was so close at hand.

At the thought of her assigned rescuer, an uncontrollable thrill overcame her. She'd evidently not had much time to think about the redhead but now that the time approached for him to play the role of white knight to her imprisoned maiden, Sakura couldn't help but breathe out in relief and expectation. Of course, if she was honest to herself she'd have to admit the whole scenario was more akin to the rampant demon and the suicidal kunoichi. Still, she couldn't complain. Especially not when she recalled the intense moments they had experienced together the night before the beginning of their mission.

Before, Sakura had compared herself to a moth being pulled in by the allure of a flame. But now she knew better. Such a half-assed simile could never even begin to compare with what the redhead ignited within her. A flame would never suffice to describe him... he was more similar to the likes molten magma. Like lava, his unchecked path of destruction instantly turned everything he touched to ash. But that was the curious thing. She hadn't been reduced to cinders. Instead, she had been wrapped in a shadowy cocoon and spared the effects of the inherent threat he was to everyone else.

Between the playful banter and the heated sex, something had shifted between them; something important. A something that, no matter her previous doubts and apprehensions, made her certain he would come for her at the appointed time and at the appointed place. It wasn't about trust. Just like she'd told him, it was about instinct.

Mingled with its demonic counterpart, Sakura had discovered the man within Gaara. And she had appealed to him. His response had been nothing short of overwhelming, engulfing her in his dark embrace. Sakura was very much aware he was much more dangerous than the demon. It was, after all, Gaara the man who allowed the demon free reign. He was the one who made the choice to wreck destruction upon the world and who permitted his counterpart to take over. It was also the man who, having tired of the mayhem, reeled in the demon and made it heel.

The cold rationality behind the unstable and raging fiend was a lot more frightening than any demon could ever be, she had to admit. And it was this part of Gaara that had given her his exclusive attention.

Sakura guessed it was now irrefutably proven that she did get her kicks out of being up to her neck in dangerous situations. It was the only explanation for the buzz she felt in her veins at the thought of Suna no Akaoni coming to bail her out.

It was also the reason why, when she felt the walls of the fortress shake with a terrifying rumble, her heart leapt into her throat and she smiled widely.


	7. For Better or Worse

**Title:** For better or worse  
**Fandom:** Naruto  
**Prompt:** #27 – Free, _100_prompts_  
**Character/Pairing:** Sabaku no Gaara/Haruno Sakura  
**Word Count:** 3030  
**Summary:** "You can fight me all you want," Gaara told her, "I'm looking forward to it."  
**Authors Notes:** I couldn't resist having Gaara use his Ryuusa bakuryuu (desert avalanche) jutsu. It's always been one of my favourites.

~~xxx~~  
**  
**27 - Free

It wasn't in his nature to make her or himself wait. But given the circumstances, he didn't have much of an option. The bastards were throwing everything they had at him, using their most powerful ammunition to try and bring him down. A part of him saw it as a compliment: they were very much aware of the devastating threat he was. Nonetheless, the part of him that saw the whole thing as a nuisance won out. So he had no choice but to make them scream and make their blood flow with his passing.

Of course, if it had been up to his demonic desires, he would've dedicated more time to killing as many of Iwakagure's soldiers as possible. But Gaara knew even his chakra reserves wouldn't last long against the heavy artillery they were aiming at him. He had an _objective_ this night and he'd be damned if he didn't achieve it sooner rather than later.

A chorus of painful wails rose as he ran across the battlements, using his chakra to climb walls and make his way speedily across the roofs of the fortress. His aim was the main structure at the very centre, the building were his pink haired spitfire was waiting for him. Using his sand to get there had been out of the question, knowing very well that, in the middle of the air, he would just be a sitting target for Iwagakure's infamous bomb throwers. He would save his sand cloud for when he had Sakura in his grasp. Then his entertainment would really begin.

Whipping his sand all about him, he smashed bone, throats and skulls as he progressed towards his goal. The redhead was aware the alarm had sounded and the army that manned the fortress would soon be at his heels. This didn't deter him in the least, however. He was very much aware of his capabilities. It was the reason why he'd been chosen to be Sakura's partner in the first place. He was the only nin who could pull this insane stunt successfully.

Finally reaching the wall of the main building, he summoned his sand around him as a bomb fell from the battlements above his head. The explosion shook the foundations of the fortress as sparks and flame flew all around him. But Gaara was already moving. He climbed the vertical wall at a sprint and focused his chakra. He pinpointed Sakura's exact location within the structure and pushed his sand into the cracks between the stones of the building.

In the next instant, the redhead pulled out a huge chunk of the wall clean off and let it fall unto his trailing enemies down below.  
Sitting up on the floor and holding her abdomen with her left arm, Sakura's wide eyes would have made him chuckle in any other situation. But, as was usually the case with her, she was always ready to counter.

"I thought you would be coming in through the roof," she said by way of greeting.

"And I thought you knew I was unpredictable," he retorted with a grin, coming to kneel beside her. But the instant his jade eyes surveyed her tattered form, they turned cold and deadly.

"It's nothing we didn't expect," she told him severely. They couldn't afford to waste time by catering to his anger. "We need to leave now."

Calls and shouts were followed by approaching footsteps as the Shogun's guards filed into the corridor just outside the cell.

"We will," he told her, "but there's some thrash I need to dispose of first."

Sakura heard the excruciating sounds of bone being crushed and of gurgling blood in dying throats. She let him have his vengeful minute before coming to her feet. Out of the corner of his eye, Gaara saw her stumble against the wall. With an exasperate curse, he pulled his sand in around her.

"You're going to get what's coming to you for putting yourself through this," he snarled at her.

"Ah yes, I knew it was too much to ask for you to play nice and help nurse me back to health," she countered.

Jade eyes glared at her but at the sound of more soldiers approaching, he pulled her towards him roughly and jumped out of the hole in the wall.

His sand swirled all around them, solidifying at their feet so they could stand. Within its protective cocoon, they gained altitude but were in no way going forward.

"Gaara, what are you doing?" Sakura asked in reprimand. "We're supposed to be getting out of here."

"You think I would spend three days sitting on my ass, thinking about you getting beat up, without making preparations to annihilate the bastards keeping you prisoner?" he countered, his voice deadly. "It just goes to show you how much you've still got to learn about me."

He stopped his sand in midair abruptly and brought down the swirling mass all around them. Sakura could see they were pretty high and she looked down only to realize the fortress' solders were using chakra to augment the range of their weapons to try bring them down. A couple of volleys came pretty close to succeeding.

"Gaara," she said in a low tone, the threat in her voice evident.

He ignored her. "Hold on to me," he ordered as he lifted his arms and concentrated his chakra.

Sakura felt the hairs on the base of her nape stand on end. The air all but crackled with the raw power building up within and all around him. Helpless to do anything except watch, Sakura witnessed the real reason behind his infamous reputation of being one of the most powerful shinobi alive.

His chakra seemed to explode from one second to the next and when it did, a wall of sand started rising from the north end of Kurogane Fortress. Mouth agape, the roseate haired kunoichi watched as it rose and rose, coming level with the floating sand cloud they were standing on. There was no way to gauge the amount of sand he was commanding; Sakura simply couldn't even guess how many tonnes of it were rising out from the ground.

The sand wall reached its peak and for an instant, its rustle was all that could be heard.

"Ryuusa bakuryuu!" Gaara exclaimed and the sand went cascading down upon the world below.

The gargantuan wave crashed down, swallowing the entire fortress. The roar of the sand was so great Sakura couldn't even hear the screams of the soldiers below. It crumbled roofs and overturned stone, swaying like an ocean to and fro, drowning its terrified victims as it went. The onslaught of its destruction was merciless.

When the sand finally came to a stop, only the tallest buildings could be seen among the rubble. The rest of the fortress lay covered in grains that trickled out slowly out of the orifices along its out walls. The stronghold looked like the remains of an ancient ruin, swallowed by the relentless sand of a desert.

"That ought to deter any pursuit," Gaara commented nonchalantly. "Now we can leave."

As he spoke, he moved his sand forward and lowered his arms to accommodate Sakura more comfortably along his right side.  
The kunoichi was, in a word, awestruck.

It would be naive to think he had killed the Shogun and his elite group of guards. They were a whole lot more skilled than to allow themselves to die due to a sand tsunami. Nonetheless, this unpredictable turn of events would be more than a thorn in their side. Gaara's little stunt would certainly have negative effects on their war campaign and would slow down their plans.

What rattled Sakura's peace of mind was the fact that he hadn't offered to do such a thing in the first place. It could've saved all of them a whole lot of time and effort!

Grinding her teeth and preparing to give him a shout down to that effect, she checked herself when a realization came over her. It was true that he could've drowned the entire fortress in sand from the very beginning and it was true he could've saved them all the trouble. But then again, he simply hadn't had the motivation or the drive to do it.

Being the whimsical demon that he was, Gaara would never go to such lengths of exertion unless there was something in it for him. Even though he had dedication to his country and to his sister, it would've never crossed his mind to wield his power to such an extent if he wasn't affected on a personal note. That was the whole point of this mission.

It had been personal for him this time around and he hadn't shown any kind of hesitation when it came to expending his chakra resources.

And he had done it all for _her_.

Sakura was filled with equal parts elation and trepidation.

Just what the hell had she gotten herself into?

There was no answer to that question yet. Nonetheless, she was sure she would find out at some point. The night's events had her discovering a new kind of admiration for Temari-san, though. How she had managed to keep the ultimate-weapon-of-mass-destruction she had as a brother on a leash for such a long time was something that deserved a standing ovation. The woman must be made of some really strong stuff.

Simultaneously, once the aforementioned Shogun and her own shishio found out the precise effect Sakura had over Suna no Akaoni, she was sure they would go to any means to exploit the connection for their purpose. The kunoichi felt true apprehension fill her from the inside and experienced a genuine desire to cry out in frustration.

There would be no end to her role as bait to prod the demon into action.

Her exhaled breath caught Gaara's attention. Jade eyes turned to face her but instead of saying anything, he lowered his mouth to hers for a leisurely kiss.

"You should be healing yourself," he told her sternly when he'd finished with his ministrations.

"I would be if you weren't groping me," she countered acidly.

"I believe we've already had this discussion about me needing to keep you anchored while we're riding my sand," the redhead replied with a sly grin.

"And I believe I've already told you I don't need your support to stand on your sand."

He simply shook his head in mock frustration but he shifted to lower his arm, loosening his hold on her.

Nonetheless, after the adrenaline had finally dissipated, Sakura was feeling the pain of her broken rib more prominently. So she had to get him to move away. Of course, getting him to do that was to admit she was in worse shape than she'd initially made him believe.  
But her need finally won over her pride.

"Gaara, I think I should sit down."

The look in his jade eyes would've been comical in any other circumstance.

"Why the hell didn't you say so in the first place?" he snapped. His violent words contrasted with his actions however as he immediately lowered her down gently unto the sand.

"Because you were too busy with your sand tsunami," Sakura countered sweetly.

He growled at her. "Where are you hurt?"

"I've got bruises all over my body but a broken rib is my main concern. I can take care of it but I need to be lying down to do so."  
Cold jade eyes told her he would've liked to say something about the origin of her pains but he kept silent and helped her lie down. He created a small sandy pillow under her head and left her to her healing jutsus when she was finally settled.

As they travelled, Sakura was able to make good progress with her injury. She healed the fracture and managed to patch most of the tissue around it. Eventually, she was able to sit up without any problems and started concentrating on her other ailments.

Nonetheless, she noticed they were losing altitude and that the chakra embedded in the sand was becoming erratic.

Looking up, she surveyed Gaara with a critical glance. Even though he was still standing and gave no outer signs of fatigue, Sakura's expert medic eyes knew the stunt he'd pulled had to have taken its toll. No shinobi could enact a jutsu of such magnitude and not feel its effects on his body. Besides, they'd been travelling on his sand for quite some distance. As a matter of fact, she was almost certain they were already close to the rendezvous point.

Before she could speak up and voice her concern about him, the redhead lowered his sand to ground level. "We're here," he informed her as he steered the sand towards the edge of a forest clearing.

Without giving her a chance to protest, he picked her up in his arms before his sand dissipated completely. Sakura spluttered but kept quiet when he levelled a glare at her. He carried her behind a tree and whistled the signal. Almost instantly, a reply came from somewhere to their left and Gaara stepped out, his arms filled with roseate haired kunoichi.

"Well, well, don't you two look a pretty sight," said a female voice Sakura knew very well.

She groaned inwardly. It was just like her shishio to come out to meet her favourite pupil when she came back from a trying mission.  
"Did you obtain the information we needed?" Tsunade asked, lifting the lamp she was holding.

"Naturally," Sakura replied with an arrogant smirk. "And it's pretty useful so we'd better get a move on."

"She was beaten up pretty badly even if she doesn't care to admit it," Gaara cut in abruptly. "From the looks of it wasn't once but twice."  
It was Sakura's turn to glare at him.

The look in the eyes of Konoha's Shogun changed immediately. "Bring her over here; we've got a tent prepared. I'll take care of her myself."  
Without a sound, the redhead fell into step behind her as she led the way. As they advanced, other shinobi materialized from between the trees, coming to walk in formation all around them and lighting the way with their lamps.

"Gaara's chakra supplies have been worn out," Sakura remarked in her best diagnosis voice, aiming her comment at the back of her shishio. "He needs nourishment and rest immediately."

Jade eyes looked down to glower at her wrathfully but the kunoichi met his death glare head on.

"Is that so?" Tsunade asked, turning around slightly. "Shizune, go on ahead and make preparations." Once her assistant had speedily left, she turned back towards Sakura. "What did he do to overexert himself?"

"He brought a gigantic wave of sand crashing down and destroyed Kurogane Fortress," she stated in what she hoped was a steady voice.  
Tsunade stopped dead in her tracks, forcing Gaara to come to an abrupt halt to avoid colliding with her. She turned round to look at the redhead with an incredulous look in her eyes.

"Well, it does sound like something he would do," came a male voice from within the adjacent shadows. From under a tree, a shape walked out, revealing a flustered Kankurou. "I'm afraid he really doesn't know the meaning of the word restraint."

"I agree with you there," Sakura replied before Gaara could answer.

Tsunade opened her mouth as if to say something but seemed to think better about it in the last instant. Shaking her head, she turned back towards the path and kept walking.

"You've done it again, little brother," Kankurou said as he fell into step next to them.

"Have I?" Gaara asked in a menacing tone.

His brother chuckled darkly in response but ignored his question. "I'll go on ahead and help with the preparations. Our sister will be expecting a full report soon."

The redhead aimed a resigned nod his way before Kankurou quickened his step to catch up with Shizune.

Sakura let out a deep breath and felt some of the tension she'd been experiencing for the past few days dissipate. Nonetheless, her mind couldn't help but contemplate the consequences her mission had brought along with it.

"You do realize," she said in a low voice so only Gaara could hear, "that this is just the beginning."

He directed a puzzled look her way.

"We'll be stuck with each other from now on, like it or not," as she spoke, she gestured towards Konoha's Shogun walking a few paces ahead.

Gaara finally understood what she was saying. A devious grin formed on his lips. "Does this mean I officially get to share a tent with you from now on?"

Sakura lifted her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. "No, it means you're going to be saddled with me for all your missions and vice versa."

He cocked his head to the side. "And why is that?"

"Because I'm the only one who can make you behave!" she countered in frustration.

Noticing the tone of her voice, the redhead looked at her intently for a moment. Taking in her flustered expression among the shadows of the moving lamps, he grinned even wider before lowering his face down to hers.

"Behave?" he asked, murmuring the word against her lips. "We'll see about that. For now, you really should stop with the act. Both of us know very well you're going to enjoy working with me."

Sakura arched a pink eyebrow at him in challenge but a thrill making its way up her spine at the tone of his voice prevented her from opposing his statement out loud.

"You can fight me all you want," he told her, "I'm looking forward to it."

The kunoichi narrowed her eyes at him but wasn't allowed to answer back. His lips were claiming hers and his tongue darting into her mouth was making her forget everything except the feel of his strong arms cradling her against his hard chest.

For better or worse, she had to accept it: from now on, they truly were partners in shadow.


End file.
